Headline Entries at RM Auctions Paris 2014

A selection of sports and racing cars will be offered at the 2014 RM Auctions Paris sale, scheduled for 4–5 February at Place Vauban during the week of Salon Retromobile. In addition to the previously announced Harburg Competition Car Collection, RM’s inaugural sale in France will feature two endurance motor sport cars, a 2008 ex-Works Peugeot 908 HDi FAP and a 1982 Rondeau M482 Le Mans GTP.

The Peugeot 908 was developed by the Peugeot factory for the Le Mans Endurance Series. The 908 was first seen in the 2007 season and was the result of two years of development work by the French manufacturer that was aimed at showcasing its diesel engine technology. The car on offer, chassis number 05, has been consigned to RM by the Peugeot factory, it is offered for sale in full Works race trim, and it remains to be powered by its factory-built V-12, 5.5-litre turbocharged diesel engine. It was campaigned successfully during the 2008, 2009, and 2010 seasons in the LMP1 category of the Le Mans Endurance Series, and the highlight of which was a 2nd place overall finish in the 2008 Le Mans 24 hours, where it was driven by Formula One world champion Jacques Villeneuve, alongside co-drivers Gene and Minassian (Estimate: €1,400,000-€1,800,000).

The 1982 Rondeau M482 Le Mans GTP, chassis number M482-001, is the final iteration of the race car that was designed and developed by well-known Le Mans privateer constructor and driver Jean Rondeau. It was the first M482 of just three built in 1982, and it first saw action at the 6 Hours of Silverstone that year, where it was driven by Jean Rondeau himself before going on to contest at a five 24 Hours of Le Mansr races between 1983 and 1987, finishing as high as 12th overall in its final appearance at the race and piloted by Terrian, Rahier, and Grand. With such a prolific Le Mans track record behind it, M482-001 holds a special place in the history of the race, and after retirement, it was displayed at the Musée des 24 Heures – Circuit de La Sarthe. Today, the car is offered in the same Ford France livery that it appeared in for its first 24 Hour of Le Mans race in 1983, and it is currently fitted with a John Nicholson 3.3-litre Cosworth V-8 engine, offering potential as a contender in the Le Mans Classic. (Estimate: €200,000–€250,000)

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It seems that all older cars are considered art these days. The only “Art Form” in automobiles are created by hand fabrication of metal and in some cases fiberglas, carbon fiber, and the like. Any body part coming out of a stamping process should not be considered artistry. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder of course, but art must come from a craftsman or fabricator.
All racing cars not based on an existing stock model are considered art regardless of material used for construction